May 26, 2006

June is Torture Awareness Month. Larry Cox, the executive director of Amnesty International USA, commented that "it is difficult to believe that the United States government, which once considered itself as an exemplar of human rights, has sacrificed its most fundamental principle by abusing prisoners as a matter of policy, by 'disappearing' detainees into a network of secret prisons, and by abducting and sending people for interrogation to countries that practice torture." [New York Times, 24 May 2006]

How could our elected representatives have allowed this to happen? Has there ever been a Congress more incapable of exercising its responsibility to check an executive who arguably has done more damage to this country--to name just one--than any other president in our history? The human and economic cost of his mistakes and mismanagement is incalculable.

We need lawmakers who will not give a pass to a president who has "claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office," according to the Boston Globe. With too few exceptions, this Congress deserves a clean sweep (out) in November. Meanwhile, visit www.AmnestyBucksMont.org to see what you can do to help restore our government to its traditional value of respect for human rights.

May 24, 2006

An Inconvenient Truth opens in theaters this week."Intellectually exhilarating . . . could hardly be more urgent. An Inconvenient Truth is a necessary film." A. O. Scott, New York Times"In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see An Inconvenient Truth. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to." Roger EbertAl Gore is back! Move aside, Hillary!